Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Monday 14 June 2021

The Imperial Abbey (Prince-Bishopric) Of Fulda Reichskloster (Fürstbistum), Fulda, Germany. Imperial Abbey Of The Holy Roman Empire.



English: Fulda Abbey.
Deutsch: Aufnahme des Fuldær Dom
Español: Catedral de Fulda.
Date: 6 April 2004 (original upload date).
Source: Originally from de.wikipedia; description page is/was HERE
Author: Author and original uploader was ThomasSD at de.wikipedia
(Wikimedia Commons)



Black Saint George's Cross.
Used by Archbishopric-Electorate of Cologne,
1475-1794 (Erzbistum Köln).
Date: 3 March 2007.
Created with Sodipodi,
based on Flag of England.
Author: Laurens
(Wikimedia Commons)


English: Coat-of-Arms of Fulda.
Deutsch: Wappen des Bistums bzw. des ehemaligen
Fürstbistums und Hochstiftes Fulda.
Date: 29 December 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: David Liuzzo
(Wikimedia Commons)


The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

Fulda Abbey, or, The Princely Abbey of Fulda, or, The Imperial Abbey of Fulda (German: Fürstabtei Fulda, Hochstift Fulda, Kloster Fulda) was a Benedictine Abbey, as well as an Ecclesiastical Principality centred on Fulda, in the present-day German State of Hesse.

It was Founded in 744 A.D., by Saint Sturmi, a Disciple of Saint Boniface. Through the 8th-Century A.D. and 9th-Century A.D., Fulda Abbey became a prominent Centre of Learning and Culture in Germany, and a site of Religious significance and Pilgrimage following the burial of Saint Boniface. The growth in population around Fulda would result in its elevation to a Prince-Bishopric in the second half of the 18th-Century.

In the Mid-8th-Century A.D., Saint Boniface commissioned Saint Sturmi to establish a larger Church than any other Founded by Boniface. In January 744 A.D., Saint Sturmi selected an un-populated plot of land along The Fulda River, and, shortly after, obtained Rights to the land.


The tomb of Princess Anna of Prussia.
Fulda Cathedral (previously Fulda Abbey),
Hesse, Germany.
Available on YouTube at

The Foundation of the Monastery dates to 12 March 744 A.D. Sturmi travelled to notable Monasteries of Italy, such as Monte Cassino, for inspiration in creating a Monastery of such grand size and splendour. Boniface was proud of Fulda, and he would obtain autonomy for the Monastery from the Bishops of the area by appealing to Pope Zachary for placement directly under The Holy See in 751 A.D.

Boniface would be entombed at Fulda following his Martyrdom in 754 A.D., in Frisia, as per his request, creating a destination for Pilgrimage in Germany and increasing its holy significance. Saint Sturmi would be named the first Abbot of the newly-established Monastery, and would lead Fulda through a period of rapid growth.


The Monks of Fulda practiced many specialised trades, and much production took place in the Monastery. Production of Manuscripts increased the size of the Library of Fulda, while skilled craftsmen produced many goods that would make the Monastery a financially wealthy establishment.

As Fulda grew, Members of the Monastery would move from the main building and establish villages in the outlying territories to connect with non-Monastery Members. They would establish themselves, based on trade and agriculture, while still remaining connected to the Monastery. Together, the Monks of Fulda would create a substantial Library, financially stable production, and an effective centre for education.[1]


Fulda Cathedral (previously Fulda Abbey),
Hesse, Germany.
Available on YouTube at

In 774 A.D., Emperor Charlemagne placed Fulda under his direct control to ensure its continued success. Fulda was becoming an important cultural centre to The Carolingian Empire, and Charlemagne hoped to ensure the continued salvation of his population through the Religious activity of Fulda.[2]

A notable Work that the Monks of Fulda produced was the “Annales Necrologici”, a List of all the deceased Members of the Abbey following the death of Saint Sturmi in 744 A.D.[3] The Monks would offer Prayer for The Dead, listed in the “Annales”, to [Editor: “try and”] ensure their Eternal Salvation.


While at first this record only contained the names of those at Fulda, as the power and prominence of Fulda grew, so too did the scope of who was to be included in the “Annales”. Patrons, citizens, and nobles of the area would all come to be recorded in this piece of Fulda and its concept of community. The documenting of dates of passing, beginning with Sturmi, created a sense of continuity and a reference for the passage of time for the Monks of Fulda.[4]

The School at the Fulda Monastery would become a major focus of the Monks under Sturmi’s successor, Abbot Baugulf, at the turn of the Century. It contained an Inner School for Christian Studies, and an Outer School for Secular Studies, including pupils who were not necessarily Members of the Monastery.

During Boniface's lifetime, he had sent the Teachers of Fulda to apprentice under notable Scholars in Franconia, Bavaria, and Thuringia, who would return with knowledge and texts of The Sciences, Literature, and Theology. In 787 A.D., Charlemagne praised Fulda as a model School for others, leading by example in educating the public in Secular and Ecclesiastical matters.[1]

2 comments:

  1. Another fascinating “focus” by “Dom” Zephyrinus, on the once-great Benedictine Abbey of Fulda, and of course the still-surviving Abbey Church, the site of the tomb of S. Boniface.

    This article spurred me to read more on the background of Fulda Abbey: and I did not know until now that one of their greatest abbots was Rabanus Maurus, who was taught by the great Alcuin of York (Alcuin is credited with much of the Catholic traditional exorcism [pre-1965] rite and its power over the evil spirits, according to the late Fr. Gabriel Amorth) during the times of Charlemagne. Nearly every Catholic has heard of at least one of Rabanus Maurus’ hymns—the mysterious Veni Creator Spiritus, sung of course at Pentecost but also at traditional Catholic ordination rites. Another [less well known today] Maurus hymn was always sung at the feasts of S. Michael, “Christus Sanctorum Decus Angelorum” (“Christ, the Fair Glory of the Angels”), and I did not know that the great Ralph Vaughn Williams harmonized this hymn and it appears in the Episcopal Church Hymnal, at least in the United States).

    Back to Fulda Abbey: as Zephyrinus knows (I did not know), the great Abbey finally fell afoul of the secularization movement in Germany in the 1800s and was dissolved in 1803. Some of its great library was saved and brought to the Vatican library. At least we are fortunate that the ruling nobles allowed the Monastery church to become the Catholic cathedral, preserving it and the burial place and shrine of Saint Boniface. There are at least two Benedictine monasteries (one for nuns, one for men) now in Fulda but they were founded sometime after Bismarck in the 20th century, and they are not historically connected with the once-great Abbey.

    One other reason that Fulda is important: At a conference of religious, mostly Benedictines, held in 1980 at Fulda (chosen because it is considered the founding place of Catholicism in Germany), Pope John Paul II gave a very striking address on the hidden Third Secret of Fatima. He warned (1)!that one aspect of the third secret was that if people were to hear of its apparently dismaying content without a willingness to convert, it would be fruitless; and (2) another aspect he warned was that Christians must be ready as in the past to die for their faith. This was one year before he was nearly assassinated by Mehmet Ali Agca in 1981 in the piazza in front of S Peter’s. But that is a fairly involved subject for another day.

    However Fulda once again gleams as a beacon from the past, and the Shrine of Boniface, into the future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zephyrinus is most gratified, and blessed, to have such competent, interesting, and erudite, Commenters, such as Dante Peregrinus.

      This outstanding Comment throws much light on Fulda Abbey and The Benedictines.

      Thank You, Dante Peregrinus.

      Delete

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